Well-pipe elevator



lASATIl Marcx 11 1924.

VC. E. WILCOX WELL PIPE ELEVATOR Filed Jan. 29 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Zap/JE 742260K March 11 411924.

'cyEf wlLcox WELL PIPE ELEVATOR Filed Jan. 29. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L-PIPE ATOR.

appucatin mea January aa, i921. smal No. 440,933.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES E. WILCOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anaheim, in the county of Orange, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Well-Pipe Elevators, of which the following is a specication.

This invention has to do with elevators of the character used for handling casings or pi es in oil and water wells, etc., and it 1s an o ject of the invention to provide a simple, strong and e'ective device of this character.

lt is an object of the invention to provide an elevator resenting no projecting or weak parts, whic can vbe ighter in construction than an ordinary elevator for a given' strength, and in which the 'casing encircling structure is subjected to minimum strain.

A noteworthy feature of the invention is the general arrangement and formation-of the device. The link parts of the device support the casing engaging structure at, or immediately adjacent, the casing engaging part of such structure, thereby causing the centers of support to be close to the center of the load. With the centers of support close to the center of load, there is very little leverage action in the casing engaging structure tending to break or open it. Further, by the arrangement and formation of the device the links are securely and effectively held in the proper enga ement with the casing engagin structure uring operation and handling o the device, but are easily and quickly removable or detachable from the casing engaging vstructure upon being manipulated in a certain manner and without the necessity of detaching or removing any additional part or parts.

The various objects and the corresponding features and advantages gained by the carryingfout of said objects will be best and most fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical embodiment of the invention, throughout which reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan section of the elevator taken immediately above the casing engaging structure as indicated by line 1-1 on Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, bein a view taken as indicated by line -2-2 of Flg.

1 and showing the transverse curvature ofA the end portions of the links; Fig. 3 is .a

side elevation of the casing Vengaging struc ture only, viewed as indicated by line 3--3 on llg. 1; and Fig. A is a side elevation of the device, being a view taken as indicated by llne 4 4 on Fig. 1 and showing the lon iudisnal curvature of the end portions of t e 'ljhroughout the drawings numeral 10 designates the casing engaging structure whlch is adapted to be supported by a pair `of balls or links 11. The structure 10 has a longitudinal opening 31 adapted to receive a casing. rllhe links 11 are connected to the structure 10 by being arranged in notches 12 formed in the sides of the structure 10. In the preferred form of the invention two links 11 are employed to support'the structure 10 and the notches 12 to carry the links are arranged diametrically opposite each other in the sides of the structure 10.

As far as the present invention is concerned, the structure 10 may be of any gen eral design and construction; for instance it may be solid or sectional. rlhe particular structure 10 illustrated in the drawings, which is a typical structure presented to facilitate a clear understanding of the invention, comprises two parts A and B. The arts A and B fit together or cooperate to orm a clamp adapted to embrace or encircle a casing. lt may be here stated that when l use the term casing l mean to include also pipe or any object or objects possessin or having the general characteristics o casing or pipe. The parts A and B are hinged together at one end by a vertical hinge pin 13; the other ends being free to swing to open and close the elevator, or structure. The means provided for holding the free or swinging ends of the parts A and B together when the structure 10 is closed, or set, around a casing, comprises, generally, a T-shaped latched part 14 mounted on the part A to cooperate with lugs 40 provided on the part B. The latch 14 is carried on a rod 15 sup orted in lugs 16 on the part A. A spring 1 is arrange in connection with the rod 15 to tend at all times to move the latch 14 inwardly, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The eneral construction is set forth and claime in Patent No. 1,314,996 issued to Elihu C. Wilson on September 2, 1919, and an application of Elihu G. Wilson entitled Well elevators, led April 20, 1920, Serial Number 375,332.

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.In the particular structure shown in the drawingsmeans is provided for positively locking the parts A and B together in the set position so that they cannot under any circumstances become separated when the elevator is in operation. A recess' 18 is formed in the part B and a lug 19 is formed on the latch 14 to extend into the recess 18 when the latch is closed. An opening-2O extends vertically downwardly throu h the part B, openin into the recess 18, an `a like openi 21 is ormed in the lug 19 to register wit the opening when the lug 1s in place in the recess. A rod 22 is slidably carried in the o ening 20 and extends from the upper end o the opening, carrying at its upper end a head 23 adapted to seat in recesses 24 formed in the parts A and B. The head 23 is formed at its ends with downwardly extending lugs 25 adapted to extend into notches 26 provided in the recesses 24. A sprin 27 is arran ed in connection with the ro 22 and hea 23 to normally hold the rod in the position'shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the rod 22 is in this position its lower end is within th e opening 20 and the head 23 is completely out of the recess 24. When the elevator is arranged on the casin and is lifted the head 23 engages the co ar of the casing, is forcedl downwardly into the recess 24, the lugs 25 on the head 23 are moved into the notches 26, andthe lower end portion of the,

rod 22 is moved downwardly into the opening 21 in the lug 19. The parts A and B are then positively locked together by the titled Lock for we coodperation of the lugs 25 and notches 26 an also by the cooperation of the rod 22 and lug 19. The particular .construction just described is set forth in detail and is claimed in my co ending application en-f l casing e evators, filed on even date herewith and bearing Serial Number 440,932.

All the links 11 and the openings, or

. l notches, 12 Abeing .structurally the same and leach of the links being adapted to cooperate with Aa notch in the same manner, I will roceed to describe in detail one of the noto es, one' of the links, and the manner in which a notch and link cooperate. It is to be understood, of course, that such description rp liesrequally to all of the notches and Afverticall Tdisposedrib or pro'ection 30 j extends radia ly outwardly from t e side of the structure 10, and in the particular case Y herein set forth from the side of one of the parts of structure 10 between its ends, as clearly shown throu hout the drawings. The notch 12 Vexten s inwardly and upl "wardly through the projection 30 and into the structure 10, proper, to the opening 31 in the structure 10. Tle outer portion 33 of the notch 12 is diagonally disposed across the pro'ection 30 and extends upwardly and notch formed diagonally through the pro-V jection 30, there 1s formed a ownwardly projecting part 41 and an upwardly projecting part 42. The projecting parts 41 and 42 are on opposite sides of the outer portion 33 and at opposite sides of the projection 30 and the vertical distance between 4the ends of said projecting parts is considerably less than the distance between the two sides of the outer portion 33 of notch 12 and the thickness of the link 11.

The bail or link 11 is in the form of 'a u continuous elongated loop having substantially straight side parts 50, a curved uj en s per end part 51 connecting the u per of the side parts 50 and a curved ower end part 52 connecting the lower ends of the side parts 50. The upper end part 51 is adapted to receive a ook, or hke device, while the lower end part 52 is adapted to be carried in the inner portion 35 of notch 12. In accordance with the present invention the lower end part 52 is evenly longitudinally curved between the ends off; the side parts and is also transversely curved, prefs erably only in one direction, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. At some part or parts of the link other than the* curved end part 52, the cross section of the link is reduced. For instance, at the side part 50 the link may have flattened por tions 60.

To arrange the link 11 in the notch 12 the reduced part of the link, that is thepart where the link is flattened, is arrangedat the outer end of the outer portion 33 of notch 12 and the link is tilted bodilyto a position where it is in line with the outer ortion 33 -of the notch 12. From this position the reduced portion of the link may be moved through the outer portion 33 of the notch into the inner portion 35. The inner portion` 35 being enlarged, that is, being larger ithan the outer portion 35, the links can --be easily moved longitudinally until the end part 52 is Within the inner portion 35, as`clearly shown throughout the drawings. VIt will be particularly notedthat the rounded" edges 36 ofthe portion 35 conform to the longiturA dinal curvature of theendpart 52 and that necessary amount. With the link thus arranged in the notch it is obvious hovrrv it willv not become displaced therefrom under ordinary vworking' and handling conditions and even after it has worn considerably. This is true not only because the end portion 33 of the notch is only suiiiciently wide to pass the reduced portion of the llnk, but :also because the vertical distance between the projecting parts 4l and 42 is very much less than the size of any part of the link, even the reduced portion of the link. The only way in which the link can become displaced from the notch 12, or can be removed from the notch 12, is to move it longitudinally around in the notch until the reduced portion is in the notch, whereupon it can be removed by tilting it to be in line with the end lportion 33 of the notch.

From inspection of the drawings it will bev readily seen that the link 11 engages or supports the structure 10 at a point immediately adjacent the opening 31 of the structure 10,*thereby causing the point of support to be as close as possible to the center of the load supported by the structure 10.

Further, from inspection of the drawings, it

will be readily seen how the longitudinal and transverse curvature of the end parts 52 and the links, causes the links to engage the structure 10 immediately adjacent the opening 31 in the structure 10 and yet extend out wardly and upwardly from that point Without touching or engaging any other parts of the structure 10.

ln practice it is preferred that the notches -12 be arranged diametrically opposite each other in the structure 10 and that they be located vertically in the structure 10 so that the inner portions 35 are sli htly below the center of the structure l0. ith this location of the notches, and the above described cooperation between the lnotches and links to cause the points of support to be as close as .possible to the center of load the strains in the structure 10, tending to break or ull it apart, are reduced to a minimum. or this reason the structure provided for connecting and holding together the parts of' the structure 10 can be made considerably lighter than in ordinary devices of this character. Further, by the arrangement and construction hereinabove set forth there are no large heavy projections or lugs for carrying the links 11, and no retaining or locking devices to hold the lugs in place to support the links and of retaining devices for the links, the elevator can be made lighter and neater than has heretofore been possible.

The following claims are directed to the feature of the supporting links being positioned closely under the load-in openings that extend into the elevator body wall; and the combination of such feature with the feature ot link removal. ln, a divisional application Ser. No. 642,149,ii1ed May 28th 1923, entitled Well pipe elevator, l have claimed the feature of link or bail removal in itself.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, l claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a structure having a longitudinal opening to receive acasing and a notch extending upwardly and inwardly in its side to the opening, and a supporting link carried in the inner part of the notch.

2. ln a device of the character described, a structure having a longitudinal opening to receive a casing and notches at opposite sides extending inwardly to the opening, and supporting links carried in the inner parts of the notches.

3. A link for supporting a casing engaging structure, having the part which engages the structure curved longitudinally and transversely.

4. A. link for supporting a casing engaging structure, having the part which engages the structure curved longitudinally and transversely inwardly.

5. ln a device of the character described, a supporting link, a structure having a longitudinal opening to receive a casing and a notch extending upwardly and inwardly in its side to the opening, the notch having an enlarged transversely disposed inner part adapted to carry the link and a diagonal outer part, and a reduced part in the link adapted to be passed through the outer part of the notch when in line with said part of the notch, said reduced part being the only part of the link passable through the outer part of the notch.

6. lin a device of the character described, a. supporting link, a longitudinally and transversely curved part in the link, a reduced part in the link, and a structure having a longitudinal opening to receive a casing and a notch extending upwardly and inwardly in its side to the opening, the notch having an enlarged transversely disposed part adapted to carry the curved part'in the link and a diagonally disposed contractedY outer part adapted to allow passage of the reduced part when said part is in line with it, said reduced part being the only part of the link passable through the outer part of the notch.

7. ln a device of thecharacter described, a structurehaving an opening to receive a casing and a notch in its side extending to the opening, and a link having a longitudinally and transversely curved part carried in the inner part of the notch.

8. A supporting link for an elevator, that has its lower part curved inwardly trans'- versely to put that part close to the elevator eltively to the remaining portion of the 9. ln a device of the character described,

:Leasing encircling body with a casing re-` wardly toward the casin receiving openceiving opening andwith bail receiving ing; and bails with their ower ends curved openings in the side of the body, said -openinwardly to reach the Inner part of said ings extending laterally into the body inbail receiving o nings.

wardly toward the casing receiving opening. In witness t atl I claim the foregoing 15 10. In a device of the character describe I have hereunto subscribed my name this a casing encircling body with a casing re- 18th day of Janna 1921.' ceiving opening, and with bail recelving C LES E. VVLCOX.` openings 1n the side of the body, said open Witness: m ings extending laterally into the body in- VIRGINIA BERINGER. 

